ON TURNING TEN BY BILLY COLLINS

ON TURNING TEN BY BILLY COLLINS
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On Turning Ten by Billy Collins
The poem does not have a very funny introduction. It evokes a person’s imagination of disease and suffering. For instance, when the persona felt like they were coming down with something worse than any stomachache it makes the entire paragraph somber. When one thinks of a disfiguring form of chicken pox the reader is struck with awe and sadness rather than bursting into a fit of laughter. However, this is before finding out that the persona is actually a child which makes the introduction of the poem understandable and adds humor into it. Had the introduction begun with a child’s view of the world as the other parts of the poem have then there would be humor at first instance. For instance, when the persona states the occupations they had imagined for themselves over the years such as a prince or how by drinking milk a certain way they became invisible. Were such language used then the introduction would not invoke sadness when it is read at first instance?Both the poet’s and Bruce Weber’s analysis of the work are correct. Bruce is correct when he says that Collins uses profound observations to deliver a message. This is evidenced in this poem since they he takes the ideas of a child and uses that to illustrate how ageing is unpleasant and uncertain and free of imagination. The writer is also right saying that their poem is suburban. From my understanding, there aren’t much of stylistic instruments used other than description.

This, when compared to other works of poetry, lacks that kind of tone and language that other poems have. Bruce is also right when he points out the conversational nature of the poem. As one reads through the poem, it feels as if the persona is talking to you. For instance, on the persona says ‘You tell me it is too early to be looking back” CITATION Bil17 l 1033 (Collins, 2017) it gives a sense of being addressed directly as a reader.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Collins, B. (2017). On Turning Ten. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.